308 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



points; lateral line continuous, curved, and extending on caudal fin; dorsal fins 

 continuous or separate, the soft portion longer; anal fin with 1 or 2 spines and 

 comparatively few soft rays; caudal fin usually square or emarginate; ear bones 

 or otoliths ("lucky stones") large; air-bladder (absent in 1 genus) usually large. 

 Of 28 genera and about 110 species found in American waters, 10 genera and 14 

 species are represented in the North Carolina fauna. 



Key to North Carolina genera of Scicenidce. 



i. Dorsal spines well separated; dorsal rays 17 to 32. 

 a. No barbels on lower jaw. 



b. Body elongate, fusiform; back not elevated; mouth large, lower jaw projecting; 2 



canine teeth at tip of upper jaw; none at tip of lower jaw Cynoscion. 



bh. Body less elongate, compressed, back elevated; no canine teeth in jaws, 

 c. Teeth well developed, permanent in both jaws. 



d. Gill-rakers long and slender; no black spot at base of tail. 



e. Head not very broad, interorbital space not spongy or cavernous; lower jaw 

 projecting. 

 /. Snout very short, less than diameter of eye; mouth large, very oblique; 



no bony teeth on margin of preopercle Larimus. 



//. Snout moderate, equal to or greater than diameter of eye; mouth moderate, 



slightly oblique; margin of preopercle serrate Bairdiella. 



ee. Head very broad above, the interorbital space fiat, cavernous, the septa very 



thin; lower jaw equal to or shorter than upper Stellifer. 



dd. Gill-rakers short and thick; one (sometimes several) black spot at base of tail. 



SCI^NOPS. 



cc. Teeth very small, those in lower jaw wanting or deciduous; mouth small, inferior. 



Leiostomus. 

 aa. Barbels on lower jaw, 



g. A row of minute barbels on each side of lower jaw; air bladder with long horns. 



MiCROPOGON. 



gg. A single thick barbel at tip of lower jaw; air-bladder absent Menticirrhus. 



ggg. Numerous large barbels along inner edge of each side of lower jaw; air-bladder very 



large, thick, and with fringed appendages Pogonias. 



ii. Dorsal spines close together; dorsal rays 36 to 55 Eques. 



Genus CYNOSCION Gill. Squeteagues or "Sea Trouts". 



Large coastal fishes, some of them of great economic importance, found on 



both coasts of America and also in the old world. Body long, graceful, very 



slightly compressed; head pointed; mouth large, terminal, maxillary broad; 



teeth in narrow bands, 2 canines at tip of upper jaw (1 sometimes obsolete); 



gill-rakers long and rather stout; pseudobranchise present; dorsal fins very close 



together, the spines slender, soft dorsal long and low; anal spines 1 or 2, feeble, 



soft rays 7 to 13; caudal fin slightly concave or slightly rounded; air-bladder 



large, 2-horned. Of the 20 or more American species, the following 3 occur 



regularly on the east coast of the United States. 



i. Soft rays of dorsal and anal fins more or less closely scaled; gill-rakers long and slender, 9 to 

 12 on lower arm of first arch. 



a. Coloration nearly uniform silvery nothus. 



aa. Body marked by numerous irregular dark blotches, some of which form wavy oblique 



lines running forward and downward regalis. 



ii. Soft rays of dorsal and anal fins scaleless; gill-rakers comparatively short and thick. 6 to 8 

 on lower arm of first arch; body covered with round black spots nebulosus. 



The catch of squeteagues or "sea trouts" in this state during the past 25 

 years has ranged from 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 pounds annually, and in that time 

 has aggregated over 60,000,000 pounds, valued at not less than $1,800,000. The 



